Prabhupāda: ...consciousness, the next question. Now, this is the basic principle of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So for attaining Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there are several stages. The first stage is faith or inquisitiveness. Just like you have come to me. This is the first stage, out of inquisitiveness or some faith, that "These people are teaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We have heard it is very nice. Let us see what it is." This is the first stage. This is the first stage. One should be inquisitive and have little faith or little respect for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. "It is very nice, they are speaking, doing nice work." This is the first stage. The second stage is that in the first stage, if you find it, it is interesting, then the second stage is to associate with us, to understand more. Just like we are having our classes three days in a week. We are having class morning daily, but for public we are holding classes in the evening from seven to nine in our temple. Perhaps you know. You have been yesterday there? So we are holding classes there and discussing on this book, having kīrtana, distribution of prasādam. So it is very nice. There is no labor. Simply you come, you hear nice songs, you dance, you take nice food, you hear nice philosophy, and you think over, and you may go home. We don't ask anybody that "You press your nose like this, you make your head down like this, make exercise like this." We don't ask anybody. But people automatically like to dance with us. Although dance is labor, but they like it. So the next stage is to associate with us, to understand more and more. This is the second stage, to associate. First stage, faith and respect, and second stage, association. The third stage, if by association one becomes serious, that "I shall become a regular student of Swamiji," that is third stage. That is called initiation. Just like these boys. They are initiated. So in that stage they are guided by me. They follow strictly. Just like we have got for the initiated students we have got six, four principles. We do now allow illicit sex life. No, we do not allow these boys or girls sex life without being married. Yes. This is one regulation. We don't allow them to take anything which is not offered to the Deity. So we offer to the Deity foodstuff, grains, fruits, flowers, milk products, in that way, no meat, no egg, nothing of the sort. Simple food. They are nutritious. We prepare very... Perhaps you have participated in our love feast in Sundays. Yes.
Participate (Conversations)
Expressions researched:
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Conversations and Morning Walks
1968 Conversations and Morning Walks
1969 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Which order?
Miss Rose: Well, my house where I live.
Prabhupāda: No, no. I say that you purchase one house.
Miss Rose: Participate in one house?
Prabhupāda: Purchase.
Devotee: Purchase. Buy.
Miss Rose: Oh. Am I gonna dig gold?
Prabhupāda: Oh, you have no money?
Miss Rose: To buy a house? I wish I did. I'd take all of the disciples and put 'em all in one house.
1971 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Prof. Kotovsky: ...because of influx of refugees from Bangladesh.
Prabhupāda: Yes. But we had our saṅkīrtana festival for ten days, and people participated very wonderfully. We... Our gathering was not less than thirty thousand people daily, and they are so much interested in hearing about our... Lecture things, we are lecturing from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā. We are... Our preaching method is on the basis of Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So people are responding from every part of the world, especially the American boys. They are especially interested. And England also, and Germany, and France. From here I shall go to Paris. There we have got center. What is the name of that place? Paris? Recently they have taken.
Prof. Kotovsky: And have you many participants...
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.
Prof. Kotovsky: ...in these fifty-five branches?
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, more than three thousand, three thousand initiated. And outside admirers, there are many, many. And this means these three thousand who have accepted the principles, just like these boys. So there are fifty-five branches. In each branch we are maintaining twenty-five to hundred students. So just imagine.
Prof. Kotovsky: For Europe. Ah, for Paris.
Prabhupāda: Paris. And we have got two ceremonies, very big ceremonies, in London and San Francisco, Ratha-yatra, car festival. And, it is estimated, fifty thousand people are going to participate in the ceremony both in London and San Francisco. We are making arrangement, car festival. This car festival is observed in Jagannātha Purī. You have been in Jagannātha Purī?
Prof. Kotovsky: Yes, yes.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Prof. Kotovsky: From immemorial time, this festival...
Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes.
1972 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Yes, it should come forward. My students here are all United States citizens. I have not imported them from India. They are Americans, and they are in difficulty. So why shouldn't the government come forward? Their character is being formed, and they are becoming God conscious by participating in this movement. The government is spending millions of dollars to stop LSD and other drug intoxication, but my students are giving up everything simply by following my word. So why isn't the government coming forward to help me?
John Nordheimer: They don't care about the people, Prabhupāda.
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Śyāmasundara: But the whole idea is that if you create a spiritual atmosphere that's so enlivening that everyone will want to participate in it, that's the solution. You can't individually treat each person. You have to get the whole thing generated by, by pouring water on the root.
Prabhupāda: That if you sit down for chanting, they should automatically sit down. If one is left, then you can maybe say, "Why you did not come?" But if there is no chanting, no sitting, simply wake up, wake up, wake up, all right, I'm waking up (indistinct). But one may wake up or not, you begin your work immediately.
Śrīdhara Mahārāja: (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: Other times being washed away keno māyār bośe, jāccho bhese, and we are being washed away by Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura (laughter).
Śrīdhara Mahārāja: (indistinct) participate.
Prabhupāda: Yes, that's all, everything is there, everything is there. So chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, again. (people begin leaving)
Devotee: Śrīla Prabhupāda, arotika is beginning and I (indistinct) the devotees up to arotika, all of them could go up?
Prabhupāda: All right then. (indistinct) All right chant. (kīrtana-end)
Guest (1): We were with you. (indistinct) ...at your feet while you were...
Prabhupāda: Yes. So...
Guest (1): It was a miracle...
Prabhupāda: ...ten thousand participated.
Guest (1): ...my wife, she was with you, Swami.
Prabhupāda: Oh! I think, yes.
Guest (1): For the first time in two years, she has walked two miles.
Prabhupāda: Oh.
Guest (1): It was only because of Your Grace.
Prabhupāda: (laughs) Yes, it was three miles.
Prabhupāda: Yes, Ratha-yātrā, yes.
Professor: That was for the first time in '68, I guess.
Prabhupāda: This time I was present in the Ratha-yātrā. Yesterday, they were showing me the film. It was very successful. Ten thousand people participated.
Professor: In San Francisco, eh?
Prabhupāda: No, in London.
Professor: In London? When?
Prabhupāda: This July 8th.
Professor: This year?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Perth. And Darwin.
Ambassador: Darwin also.
Prabhupāda: Yes. And we had very gorgeous Ratha-yātrā ceremony in Australia. In London also. You know that? Ten thousand people participated, and we distributed prasādam.
Ambassador: On the 12th you'll have it in London.
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Ambassador: This big meeting will be in London, on the 12th.
Haṁsadūta: That is another meeting. Our Ratha-yātrā is held on July 8th in London.
Prabhupāda: Yes. I am cheating you, and people accepting my cheating.
Karandhara: The governments actually started the whole thing. They instituted paper money and they instituted it because it is a cheating process. But everyone is participating. So it is just going on and on. That is the real cause of inflation.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That's it. They are getting encouragement in their cheating business.
Bahulāśva: They won't let you have any gold.
Prabhupāda: Now they have made law that you cannot store gold?
Karandhara: That's been since 1933.
Prabhupāda: Just see.
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: That should be taken. Therefore I say, hold meeting, and the Hindus, the Vaiṣṇavas, they should take action. Not Americans. There may be Americans, but they'll...
Guest: No, what I say that Americans may organize it, but the participants should be Indians.
Prabhupāda: No, organize... They have actually come to me. They were attracted with Kṛṣṇa conscious philosophy. Therefore they have come to me. They did not expect that Indian government, although the money has been paid by them, and still, the Indian government is against this movement. They were not prepared for all these things. Unfortunately, these things are happening in India. We had no such difficulty in any part. Only the less intelligent class, they are... Just like in Africa, they are "junglese."
Robert Gouiran: (French)
Guru-gaurāṅga: "And to try and work and find out the true path."
Robert Gouiran: I try to work this intuition, to make it stronger, in order to feel where I have to go and to participate...
Prabhupāda: So where is the difficulty...? What is the difficulty in the position you are now, at present?
Robert Gouiran: Good question. The difficulty is that I lost the thought of this transparency by a lot of criss-crossed swords which make a sort of block, and I have very, very strong difficulties now here to feel intuitively the occult plane. And I am back in the reality...
Prabhupāda: What is that?
Prabhupāda: Oh.
Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: This is the scientist's point of view. He's just observing, observing, observing, and therefore he feels almost left out of it. So they want to participate. They're very attracted to the...
Prabhupāda: But he's observing himself or not? Or he's simply observing outside himself?
Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: Bhagavad-gītā says that he is observing his body, his field of activities.
Prabhupāda: No, Bhagavad-gītā... I am asking...
Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: He's observing outside of himself.
Prabhupāda: Just like your body has got some temporary use. Your body... But the... Your body's working. You, you are a scientist. You are working. Your work is temporary. But the soul, as soon as the soul is gone from your body, your body'll not work.
Robert Gouiran: Yes, but during his life my body has participated to a cosmic plane.
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Yogeśvara: He says, while the ship is existing or while the body's existing, it must be used. It has some utility.
Prabhupāda: That I admit. But you have to accept it that it is temporary.
Robert Gouiran: Oh...
Prabhupāda: Which knowledge?
Professor Durckheim: You came already... You say "believe and by this know that I am participating in the great divine person." And yet I didn't experience it.
Prabhupāda: Why not experience? He knows that "I am that active principle." Everyone knows that "I am not this body." When I say, "This is my finger," I don't say, "I finger." So "I," what "I"? That realization, self-realization, that "I am part and parcel of God." So that he knows, that "I am part and parcel of God. So therefore my duty is to serve God." So they are engaged in serving God. So this serving God, or devotional service, is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā... Find out that verse, that:
Prabhupāda: That is a simple thing. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That's all.
Prof. Pater Porsch: No. I mean in a further, in an extended way. For example...
Haṁsadūta: Yes. We have got a life membership program which can be (indistinct) can participate in that way.
Prabhupāda: You can become a life member and read all these books and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. There is no loss. Suppose you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa there is no material loss on your part, but if there is any gain, why don't you take it?
Prof. Pater Porsch: No, my question was perhaps a little, not quite clear. Many of us here, myself felt, represent not only our personal selves but are here on behalf of certain institutions and we are active in some form or other of public service, these gentlemen probably also. And in what way, for example, would we serve your movement by giving a clear explanation about the aims of your activity, for example, removing prejudices and supporting Sanskrit studies and the better distribution of the Bhagavad-gītā in this form, in such ways, perhaps?
Prabhupāda: Yes. We are writing these books for distribution.
Professor Durckheim: ...I realize that the closer members engaged, really, in this work of distributing books and chanting, wearing the white robes and shaving the heads, they are the closer participants I suppose. And then have you also members of your movement which are simply in their work, in the community, in the world? Or is...
Prabhupāda: No, we invite everyone.
Professor Durckheim: You invite. But as far as members are concerned, to become a member of your movement...
Haṁsadūta: Yes, we have people in all walks of life. For example, we have the (German). He is a life member. And all people...
Professor Durckheim: He's simply a member?
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Mm, yes.
Rūpānuga: He has, what is his field?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh, yes. His topic was classical, statistical (indistinct) proof. That was allotted to Jñāna dāsa Prabhu, to Germany. (indistinct) Mahārāja sent a telegram, and I also personally wrote a letter saying that he should participate in writing (indistinct). He has a (indistinct) background, he told me (indistinct).
Prabhupāda: Yes, this is nice, attend. Kṛṣṇa will help you. They are wiping out Kṛṣṇa, and your business will be to establish Kṛṣṇa. Hm.
Prajāpati: The theologian would agree, Śrīla Prabhupāda. It's a question of what's called apologetics. Theology has a specific function for the Christian church, to bring people within the fold. Simply to convince them through any means, logical or whatever, to them to come within the church community, and then once they are within that group, then they can participate in what's called the Christian life. You have taking sacraments, engage in Christian fellowship, taking communion, so many things.
Acyutānanda: But their authorities disagree.
Prajāpati: Yes. That is... They will agree with that.
Acyutānanda: But our disciplic succession from thousands of years, there's no big disagreement.
Pañcadraviḍa: I met one... I was traveling about three months ago in India. I met one Christian on the train. So we began to discuss the śāstra. So I mentioned some of the arguments in reference to the Bible, that Christ was speaking...
Prabhupāda: (aside:) No, no. Where that covering? Where is it?
Prabhupāda: You know?
Dr. Copeland: I've heard of it. From another worker. While you were in the college or afterwards, did you participate in any political movements?
Prabhupāda: Yes. I joined this Gandhi's.
Dr. Copeland: You did? Had you met Gandhi?
Prabhupāda: I met several times, but not as personal interview. But I liked his movement, national movement.
Dr. Copeland: Why?
Prabhupāda: Young men, everyone likes politics. (Dr. Copeland laughs) Actually, later on, I did not like. When I was mature, when I met my Guru Mahārāja, then I thought all these things bogus. It has nothing, no value. Social movement, political movement, they are simply wasting time. Real movement is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Prabhupāda: Then the followers will accept.
Yogi Bhajan: Swami Dhirendra Brahmacary has flown all the way from India to just participate in that. Other people, Ācārya...
Prabhupāda: Who is, who is that? Swami Dhirendra...?
Bali-mardana: President?
Yogi Bhajan: Prime minister's guru.
Bali-mardana: What is his name?
Yogi Bhajan: Swami Dhirendra Brahmacary. He has flown...
Prabhupāda: But prime minister guru, does he believe in Bhagavad-gītā?
Yogi Bhajan: He teaches, he teaches, he teaches. He's a very good man. And there are other ācāryas and Śaṅkarācārya Math and other people are coming. We have the list in Los Angeles, about sixty who have accepted to come. Then from the Judeo-Christian thoughtway(?) people are participating. And then...
Prabhupāda: No, they will come and they will go away, that's all.
Yogi Bhajan: No, understand...
Prabhupāda: There will be... There will be no understanding. I know that. There will be no understanding. You can write it down in your notebook. They will come, and they will say, and they will go away, that's all. I have dealt with all these men very nicely. You see?
Yogi Bhajan: I understand the pain, but still...
Prabhupāda: Nāsau munir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam: "He is not a muni if he does not disagree with another muni."
Yogi Bhajan: Yeah, that's right. (laughter) So what I told him was that "It is a good idea." So we are carrying that good idea now, and Muni Sushila Kumar is coming from India, then Swami Chittananda is leading that tour. And they have sent a list of sixteen other religious people who are coming. They are going to U.N.O., where the peace presentation this year is happening. I think we should participate in that. Then there is a vegetarian congress. There the participation is happening. And all this has been done just to lay the platform and honor the idea of that man Kirpal Singh Sant. Just he wanted that way. So we thought it is a better idea to be in the West and with the arrangements that everybody can come, participate, talk to each other. I would like you to be in New Mexico in one of the presentable cabin, and not let anybody of these devotee of you be around but to ask other people to come and talk to you, learn from you, share with you, share your wisdom, share your conviction, share your experience...
Prabhupāda: That's a good idea, very good.
Prabhupāda: Where is your address in Los Angeles?
Yogi Bhajan: Yeah. They all come Sunday. They come to our Guru Dvara on every Sunday. People participate. We have our magazine, and this was our anniversary renaisance, which we issued... Rather, I was planning if some of your ācārya can come and I can give them a program for Kṛṣṇa consciousness development and authoritative human aspects of Gītā, which I teach in UCLA, they can participate and start courses in that. Because everybody is special in certain areas, and I thought that was a better idea. However...
Prabhupāda: These pictures of...?
Yogi Bhajan: This is Golden Temple, Amritsar.
Prabhupāda: Amritsar.
Yogi Bhajan: Five years ago we had a one-paper print. We used to give it away for five cents. That developed into a paper. This is how everything develops. And my basic idea is people must share. And why not come there, participate, share, say what you have to say? It is one of the funny coincidence that we both live in Culver City. We live very adjoining to each other. And I go to your temple, see how it is made and how they are doing and what kind of marble they are using. And I have a lot of things to criticize but... You know. They are messing it up, but they are spending a lot of money. (laughter) So I don't mind what they are doing, but it is really a waste, lot of it is waste. I go and watch and it hurts me. But I just go around see, after all. You must have very wise architects.
Brahmānanda: He wants to go to India.
Prabhupāda: Oh.
Brahmānanda: They were not participating so much in devotional life. So now he wants to resume his...
Prabhupāda: He can go to Māyāpur.
Brahmānanda: Yes.
Prabhupāda: They produce fruit so big, these palm... They are palm trees, they are not coconut.
Jayatīrtha: No, they're not coconut palms. Just regular palm trees. They have some kernel or something, palm kernel. (break)
Indian man (5): I want to say, professor, that on behalf of the Ārya-paṭha-nīti-sabhā, I would like to request Professor Oosthuizen and to his department of Hindu Studies and Science of Religion to make it known to the students who are interested in the study of Hindu studies that at 21 Kalar Street we have this Vedic temple and that the Vedic temple is open. You can see and also participate in this service.
Prof. Olivier: Thank you very much. Might I apropos of that just say here that we have here a department, Science of Religion. Then we have a department of Christian Theology. We have now started a department of Islamic Studies, which will concentrate more on the theological aspects as we go along. And then, if we can find the right guru, we can start a gurukula, a department of Hindu Studies or Hinduism. And Mr. Chotari and various other members of the local community here are assisting us to find the right spiritual leader. As far as Hindu studies are concerned, we give a course here in Sanskrit at the university.
Prabhupāda: You have seen our books?
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: You may read that.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: "One of India's biggest and most ancient religious festivals, Ratha-yātrā, the festival of the chariots, which has been enacted in several Western cities in recent years, is to be staged in South Africa in July. The festival in honor of Lord Kṛṣṇa is planned to be held in Durban next month by the local branch of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, widely known as the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. Based on the thousands-of-years-old annual parade of the three main deities of the Jagannātha temple on huge chariots through the streets of Purī, Orissa, the festival has been staged by devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa in major world cities such as London, Paris, New York, Washington, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Chicago, Montreal and Melbourne, following the spreading of Kṛṣṇa consciousness amongst thousands of Westerners in the decade since the founding of the movement in 1966 by Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda. Almost a million devotees participate in the chariot festival held every summer at Purī, where they offer oblations to Lord Kṛṣṇa; lend a hand, tugging the ropes, to pull the huge chariots; line the grand route; or simply attend to see the color and pageantry from high vantage points.
Prabhupāda: No, this Jagannātha festival will be participated by all the Indians. There is no doubt about it. So our few men, and with the cooperation of the local Indians, it can be successful.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: No doubt, but what about the daily worship? Should we have Jagannātha deities if it's not possible for worshiping them? Should we have them just for the festival?
Prabhupāda: What is the difficulty of worshiping? You are already worshiping Gaura-Nitāi. Then what is the difficulty? The same.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Well, I'm just afraid that visa problems with the brāhmaṇas.
Prabhupāda: No, no, if you are worshiping Nitāi-Gaura, along with Jagannātha, where is the difficulty?
Prabhupāda: I think it will not be difficult. Manipur is...
Svarūpa Dāmodara: It will be very easy, because...
Prabhupāda: ...Vaiṣṇava. So if they understand, that will be very nice.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: All the, even the government participates so they wrote me a letter saying that they can give us nice land, plot, and...
Prabhupāda: Oh yes. Now that Govindajī's temple?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Govindajī's temple is taken over by the government, so I talked to, I wrote a letter...
Prabhupāda: Government, they cannot manage.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: They are not managing properly.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: This one, Bhaktivedanta Institute. I have to go into town a little bit later to pick up these passports. They're not quite ready till two-thirty.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: We were also thinking that since Rūpānuga Prabhu is here in the Washington area but his participation is most important, so he's suggesting that the Institute, they house someone here in Washington.
Rūpānuga: It is also a good area for scientists. Already we have met...
Prabhupāda: That you make thing. That you will make from among yourselves.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: In this college program, when we went last time to Florida, Gainesville, Amarendra, our president of Gainesville temple...
Prabhupāda: He has written. It was encouraging.
Hari-śauri: Balavanta was reporting about the TV that he did at the university in Gainesville.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Actually he wanted to make engagements in colleges, and he wanted to participate, going to colleges, talk, and make engagements.
Prabhupāda: So go. Do this.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: And he said we can come once in a while and give lectures.
Prabhupāda: That kind of engagement is very nice.
Rūpānuga: We learned there that they wanted some book to take home and study the situation. So we told them... We told them we were working on book.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: There is an international meeting coming up next year on the origin of life, in Japan, Tokyo. They have an international body called International Society for the Study of the Origin of Life, and there are participants from all over the world actually. They hold this meeting once every four years. Next one is scheduled to be in Tokyo. We were thinking that if we get some material, we'll go and represent there.
Rūpānuga: Scientists will come there from around the world?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh, yes, big, big scientists.
Prabhupāda: But they are biased on the point that origin of life is chemical.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh, yes. Everybody is coming for them one hundred percent.
Rāmeśvara: Do you have any questions about our festival coming up this Sunday? You know we're marching down Fifth Avenue.
Interviewer: Are you going to march?
Rāmeśvara: He asks if you are going to participate in the Ratha-yātrā Parade.
Hari-śauri: This is the parade that it's based on.
Rāmeśvara: This is a photograph of what takes place in India every year. It's a traditional festival in India, we are bringing it to New York. We've got our permits and everything.
Prabhupāda: We have already got in San Francisco, in Chicago...
Rāmeśvara: Philadelphia.
Prabhupāda: In Philadelphia.
Hari-śauri: This is our festivals that we've begun in the West based on the one on the front there.
Prabhupāda: You can take that book.
Interviewer: You are participating in it, are you not?
Prabhupāda: Somewhere when I have opportunity I participate, otherwise they do it.
Rāmeśvara: In other words, Prabhupāda doesn't attend every festival all over the world.
Interviewer: Will you attend the one here in New York?
Prabhupāda: Yes, I go.
Prabhupāda: They're attending? (indistinct)
Bali-mardana: He's asking if you think that they will vote, our members will vote.
Interviewer: Will they participate in the election? Will they register and vote do you think?
Prabhupāda: Personally I never give votes.
Interviewer: Never voted. You're a citizen however, aren't you, a U.S. citizen?
Prabhupāda: I am permanent resident.
Bali-mardana: Permanent resident.
Prabhupāda: Immigrant.
Prabhupāda: That I have already explained. The prisoner who is hammering the bricks, he's thinking that this man is simply instructing that you have a different life outside the jail, he's not hammering on the brick. Therefore he is surprised, "How is that he is not hammering like me?"
Interviewer: In other words, he's not participating in jail life.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Bali-mardana: He's educating them.
Interviewer: What's he doing?
Prabhupāda: He's educating.
Interviewer: He's trying to show them a different way?
Prabhupāda: Not different way, he's educating differently.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This one is not, it's not bad, but it's not so accurate. "In size it was dwarfed by 'Operation Sale.' In popular concern it was outweighed by the Democratic National Convention. But for hundreds of Hare Kṛṣṇa followers, including many Indian immigrants to New York, yesterday's Ratha-yātrā festival was by far the most important event in an eventful month. Pulling three brightly-colored chariots down Fifth Avenue from Central Park to Washington Square, the religious group's adherents were celebrating one of the oldest holy days of the Indian calendar, the feast of Jagannātha, the Lord of the Universe, according to Kṛṣṇa doctrine. Most of the participants in the parade were young Westerners, followers from as far away as Caracas and Montreal. But the crowd included hundreds of Indians who brought the basic Kṛṣṇa faith with them from Bombay and Calcutta."
Prabhupāda: That's nice.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, that nice. "Like many other immigrant groups who preserved their forms of worship once they came to America, the Indians who watched or participated in the parade were pleased to see that they could keep the faith even in New York City." (laughter)
Prabhupāda: Find out this verse, brahmacārī gurukule.
Hari-śauri: I think that's in Seven, Two.
Harikeśa: Sixteenth Chapter, first verse, I think. It's the first verse, brahmacārī gurukule.
Jayatīrtha: One man came to the temple, he heard that his daughter had participated in one of our fire sacrifices, and he was afraid that...
George Harrison: Fire sacrifices?
Jayatīrtha: When we have initiations we have a fire sacrifice. He was afraid that she had been sacrificed. (laughter)
Prabhupāda: That is nice.
Bhagavān: Tomorrow we have the schedule of events. At nine o'clock we begin with the initiations, and we'll have the purification with water, and Pṛthu-putra Mahārāja is going to give the lecture on the ten offenses. Then everyone will come back in at ten o'clock and we'll have the bathing beginning then. And that, Jayatīrtha and I figured'd be about an hour. So we thought that perhaps towards the end of that, maybe around quarter to eleven, you'd like to come down and either participate in the bathing or give lecture at that time. And then afterwards the Deities will go back on the altar and we'll give the names outside. Is that all right?
Jayatīrtha: You don't have to come outside for giving the names.
Prabhupāda: That's all right.
Prabhupāda: Akhila-rasāmṛta, yes. Akhila-rasāmṛta-sindhu. So you can have all the rasas. That is the origin of bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. In bhakti, that rasa, you become in the ocean of rasa. You're hankering after rasas. There is a Vedic injunction, raso vai saḥ labdhvānandi ānandī.(?) One who has got the rasa, labdhvānandi, then he gets the real ānanda. That ānanda-cinmaya-rasa expansion is Kṛṣṇa's calves, cows, gopī friends, cowherd boy friends, Nanda, Yaśodāmāyi, so many. So to be Kṛṣṇa conscious means to participate with these rasas. It is not dry. It is not dry like, simply so 'ham, so'ham. So 'ham, they do not know the meaning. So 'ham means I belong to the same rasa. I also eligible to enjoy the same rasa. But Kṛṣṇa is... (break) ...and the calves, the cows are enjoying the rasa as predominated. Just like husband and wife, they are enjoying, both. But one is enjoying as the husband, predominator.
Mahāṁśa: Local people will always be working because we will never have a staff to be enough for all our work. Like, we may have twenty, thirty families staying here, and I have seen that the people who are staying in these villages, they will not come and stay over here because they are staying just around here. They have their own house. They will come and work here, they will participate and everything but they won't come and stay here. They have their houses outside here. But the people from different villages, a little away, who have no home, who are helpless, they will come and stay and they will be very loyal. If we give them food and we give them clothing they will be very loyal to us. They will become like our full supporters.
Prabhupāda: Hm. Naturally. Naturally.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: In our childhood I saw. To go weekend to the garden and... Generally they go with family, and others, they go with prostitute. With prostitute they have got freedom to handle. The higher... And not only that, during marriage ceremony, high circle marriage ceremony, they would participate in drinking, even men and women. Otherwise, in India, woman drinking or taking meat is a horrible crime. And what to speak of smoking? That is most shameless. That was aristocratic, drinking and eating meat... The Bengali, they were the richer section because others, they were foreigners. They came to Calcutta and earned money. And the Bengalis, they had their aristocratic families, zamindaries, everything in their occupation. So Bengalis were richer section in Calcutta, and..., four, five big, big families. And now they are finished on account of this aristocracy.
Prabhupāda: Oh, that's...
Rāmeśvara: But spiritual is something different. So they say "A recent survey indicates that a projected six million people are participating in the Maharishi's Transcendental Meditation. Five million are practicing yoga in one form or another." Mostly for health. "Three million in the charismatic movements." That is like the cults. "Three million in mysticism, and two million in Eastern religions." That's a lot of people they have estimated are participating in Eastern religion.
Prabhupāda: Eastern Indian.
Rāmeśvara: Mostly us, and some bogus so-called gurus.
Prabhupāda: Third World? What is that?
Hari-śauri: Third World. They refer to the Arab republics, like that. They call them the Third World.
Devotee: They don't participate with the Communist countries, and they also don't participate up there, United...
Prabhupāda: Third World? We have no place there? We want Fourth World? Or what is that? (laughter)
Tripurāri: I think there is more animal slaughter in Argentina than anywhere in the world.
Prabhupāda: Most sinful.
Prabhupāda: Yes. (Hindi) He is a lawyer, court case.
Ram Jethmalani: No, but can one be in the movement without having to adopt the stricter forms of all this, even at home?
Girirāja: Yes, he can participate. Just like if someone is initiated as a disciple, he must follow these four principles very rigidly. No meat-eating, no intoxication, no illicit sex, and no gambling. But the śāstra says that you can serve, either by giving your whole life or by giving your intelligence, by giving your time, by giving your words. So in whatever way possible, anyone can serve Kṛṣṇa and make more and more progress.
Mr. Dwivedi: Failing that... If, somehow or other, he's not free... Because time is short, and if Jetthi says yes, then I have to go to the Chief Minister, because on previous occasion I told him I wanted him on a particular function. He said, "You do this. Then get this straight. Otherwise the president of our league(?) becomes expensive, so the expenditure will go over the head of the state." He showed me the way. So then immediately after, he said, "Yes." Then I, right from Delhi itself, I made a telephone call to the Chief Minister, and I said, "Such and such appealing, Mr. Jetthi is going, and I want to be present in the matter, and I request you also that you please participate."
Prabhupāda: Now the Chief Minister...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: D.P. is also our member and S.P., and Ashok, their grandson, is also a member. All three men are...
Mr. Dwivedi: So I know D.P. more than S.P., though I know father and son both, and including their wives. They have been participating in our functions.
Prabhupāda: No, they are very nice.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Very nice.
Prabhupāda: Very nice.
Mr. Dwivedi: Even here we had a dramatic performance in aid of Rural India in which one of the ministers, Mr. Yajni, provided, and Patel also was there, and Mr. D.P. Mondalia was one of the chief guests over there. And otherwise also, I get lot of help from D.P. So I expect him tomorrow, and if I meet him... Normally what happens is he sees me the next day of his coming. But I'll try to press upon him, if I meet him tomorrow, then also most of my...
Prabhupāda: (aside:) You want to talk?
Rāmeśvara: Inventory, yes, inventory. Then "Section 2: Name of the Trust. This trust shall be known by the name..." So for each trust there's a different name. For Māyāpur it is proposed, "Śrī Māyāpur Chandrodaya Mandir Trust." For Bombay, "Śrī-Śrī-Rādhā-Rāsa-Vihārījī Temple Trust," for Vṛndāvana, "Śrī-Śrī-Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma Mandir Trust," and that will include the Gurukula. For Bhuvaneśvara, "Śrī-Śrī-Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma Bhuvaneśvara Trust." It goes on to say, "In so far as possible, the trustees shall conduct the trust activities in that name. Section 3: The Purpose of the Trust. This trust is created and shall be operated exclusively for fulfilling the aims and objects of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness as per the memorandum of association. ISKCON is registered as a society under the Society Act of 1860, and is registered as a public charitable trust. We direct that no part of this trust shall inure to the benefit of any private individual, and no part of the activities of this trust shall consist of participating in or intervening in any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office." Then "Section 4: The Use of the Trust. Irrevocably, the properties, the temple and the Deities thereupon and all other holdings of the trust shall never be mortgaged, borrowed against, sold, transferred..."
Prabhupāda: Stole?
Rāmeśvara: "Sold."
Prabhupāda: Sold.
Prabhupāda: Woman? Woman?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: No, no, Amrtabal Singh is the name. And he told me he didn't have time to talk with me because, he said, he had a meeting. So I told him that I just came to see the director, but since the director is not there I just want to let him know that "We want to hold a conference on life sciences and Kṛṣṇa consciousness, so if you are interested, I'd like to invite you because you're a leading scientist. And the Bose Institute is quite well known. So I'd like you to participate in our conference." Then he asked me, "What is that conference?" Then I started describing about the way modern science is going at this time. "Science says that everything is molecules.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: And I requested him whether he's interested in this type of conference. And I also started talking about evolution. So he told me that it's already proven that life comes from chemicals. Then I told him that "How do you know?" He told me what he had understood, but he couldn't tell anything. And I told him that "These are all stories. So you think that whatever knowledge is coming from the West, the Western countries, the United States, is the ultimate. It's written in books, and you never think what is written in the Gītā, in Bhagavad-gītā." He's also a brāhmaṇa. He's a tri-vedi. So I started telling that "These are all fairy tale stories, and we'd like to prove that whatever science knows so far, it's all wrong." So he was very interested in what I said, (Prabhupāda chuckles) and he said that he's very interested to take part in our conference, and he's coming. So they can bring many scientists from Agra to participate in the conference. So...
Girirāja: Is there many of them?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. And I also started telling him little bit about what the significance of this conference will be. (describes own preaching activities and plans for scientific conference for some time) And I requested him to participate in this program and... It will be very meaningful as a normal...
Prabhupāda: So you are listing all the men who will participate?
Śatadhanya: Yes, Prabhupāda.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says the next country is Bulgaria. "So as to give the maximum number of people a chance to participate in Lord Caitanya's saṅkīrtana program, as we are so fallen and incompetent..."
Prabhupāda: The chanting, did they give?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In Bulgaria?
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Not yet. No devotees have ever entered. "As we are so fallen and incompetent, we beg that you will keep guiding us and allowing us to continue to serve you. We remain always desperately begging for your mercy. Your selfish servant, Ghanaśyāma dāsa, BBT Library Party." You want to try and translate this evening, Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: What should I do?
Prabhupāda: No, we are the first publisher in the world. That is already recognized.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: At that recent library convention in the United States, four hundred publishers in America participated, every major publisher. And our booth was awarded the first place amongst all of the publishers' booths.
Dr. Kapoor: Where? In the quality of printing or amount of sales?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, generally they give it based on different factors. The quality of the printing, the sales, and the booth appearance, presentation.
Dr. Kapoor: This is solid work.
Prabhupāda: Then tell Girirāja. Ask Girirāja to take...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Because they see that you're not that well, and they also know that you're so merciful. And you're also a local Brajabāsī in a way. Therefore they're always against any of us taking any participation. It's the funniest thing. I explained something to Girirāja. He's been dealing with so many legal things for so long that he's become like a lawyer, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Central Bank is very straightforward.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Um hm. Very good and straightforward.
Hari-śauri: These people here, because they're small-time and because you're such a good customer that they're scared that their reputation with the bigger bank will become spoiled if you take money out and don't deposit, they're very keen... It's a false prestige thing for themselves to try to keep your money in their bank. There's so much personal motivation there, and they're making us their servant.
Prabhupāda: Of course, if I die, there is nothing to be ruined. You are all participants. So organize this farm project, simple living. Human life is meant for God realization. Try to help them. This is my...
Paramānanda: We're always feeling your presence very strongly, Śrīla Prabhupāda, simply by your teachings and your instructions. We're always meditating on your instructions.
Prabhupāda: Thank you. That is the real presence. Physical presence is not important.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? Mother Satyabhāmā, she wrote a short note to you. Should I read it to you?
Prabhupāda: Um hm.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Most of them actually agreed to what we say. On Sunday we may have some interesting... First somebody is going to speak against us. There's one Dr. Malvia(?) from Agra. He's a biochemist. He's going to speak against us. Also Dr. Mishra from All-India Institute Medical Sciences, he's going to speak. He's not exactly against, but he's heavily Māyāvādī oriented. Also he tries to compromise the modern scientific concept with the Vedic ideas, which is actually not what we're trying to do. So on Sunday also I'm planning to have about an hour and half as discussion, completely open to all the participants. So on Sunday we expect a little lively discussion.
Jñāna: The pressmen were very favorable.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, we also had press conference today. So they told me that they'd like to release, so we have to summarize what we have said today so that they can print it in the newspapers.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Which newspapers came?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: From Mathurā the Times of India came. I think five?
Jñāna: There were five reporters here altogether.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Five reporters. Also from All-India Radio they came.
Jñāna: They're coming again on Sunday.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. And the press people are coming tomorrow also, day after tomorrow. So we'll try to summarize what we have studied today and try to print it nicely in the newspapers. I requested them that this is a great responsibility for the newsmen to do this genuine scientific propaganda. So I requested them they should cooperate with us. They said that they will do it. I also requested the members of the delegate to kindly attend our temple functions. Right now I think they are in the ārati, sandhyā-ārati.
Prabhupāda: Hm. So let them.
Prabhupāda: Bhaktivedanta Institute is doing something scientifically to understand God consciousness. That is proof. And it is well advertised. And we shall go on proceeding like that more and more. So many scientists, foreign and local, they participated, discussed. It is not ordinary thing. Hm?
Guest (2): Jaya.
Prabhupāda: The importance of Bhaktivedanta Institute is there, not that theory molecule. Come on. We are challenging. Discuss like scientist, not like sentimentalists.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? It seems like we should... Next time we have a conference here, it should be done in the proper hall.
Prabhupāda: Yes, we have got enough place.
Prabhupāda: If you distribute prasādam, there will be no scarcity of participants. Bhāta ei kāke āra.(?)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What does that mean, Śrīla Prabhupāda? What does that?
Bhakti-caru: "If you scatter rice, then there's no dearth of crows." (laughs)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "No dearth of crows."
Svarūpa Dāmodara: They'll come by the bunches.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It seems like there's a Bengali proverb for practically everything, Śrīla Prabhupāda. (laughter)
Prabhupāda: Ektu bhauma bhauma deśa tabu raṅge bara.(?) Explain this.
Bhakti-caru: That "Bengal has been divided into so many different parts, but still it's full of rasas and humor."
Prabhupāda: When I go for parikrama?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Eight-thirty in the morning, generally. Then all of the participants can have darśana and we also have the darśana of the Deities at that time.
Śrī Nārāyaṇa: Deity also. (Hindi)
Prabhupāda: (Hindi) ...so we can influence whole world.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? We got report that the recent printing of the Bhagavad-gītā will be sold out by June. One million five hundred thousand copies will have been sold in about ten months' time. Fifteen lakhs were sold in ten months just in the United States.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Dalmiya was here, Rāma-Kṛṣṇa Bajaj, Śrīmān Nārāyaṇa, and some gentleman from Auroville Society was here to see you. I think they were participating in that conference, Gītā-pratiṣṭhāna.
Dr. Kapoor: I was also invited. I'm sorry I couldn't come because my wife was very ill.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Dr. Kapoor could not attend. His wife was very ill, he said. He couldn't attend the conference. Śrīla Prabhupāda, maybe you should rest now a little bit. Okay. (Bengali)
Prabhupāda: I'm tired.
Bhakti-caru: Ācchā.
| Page Title: | Participate (Conversations) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 27 of Apr, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=62, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 62 |